Shot in the Heart of Australia

Applications for the exhibition in 2022 are now closed.


The Australian Association of Street Photographers is proud to bring the tenth “Shot in the Heart of Australia” exhibition.

Held in the beautiful Frater, Hammond and McCubbin galleries at the historic Victorian Artists Society building, the exhibition is focused on each photographer’s personal interpretation of street photography within the Australia.

Shot in the Heart of Australia 2022 Application Form

To apply click the button below. This will take you to a Google form.

Exhibition Details:

28th July to 8th August

Victorian Artists Society

430 Albert Street, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002.

Important dates for Exhibitors

  • Application Opening Date                   Now open

  • Application Closing Date                     Sunday 15th May 2022

  • Date for Final Image Acceptance     Sunday 22nd May 2022 (for exhibition fees)

  • Date for Curation outcome       Sunday 29th May 2022

  • Last Date for Payment               Sunday 5th June 2022

  • Date for Receipt of Image Details    Sunday 10th July 2022

  • Hanging Day                                              Wednesday 27th July,2022

  • Exhibition Opening Date                      Thursday 28th July 2022

  • Opening Event Date and Time           Thursday 28th July 2022 6:30pm-8:30pm

  • Exhibition Closing Date                         Monday 8th August 2022

  • Dismantling Day                                       Tuesday 9th August 2022 10am-2pm.

Shot in the Heart of Australia 2022 Resources

Link to the SITHOA 2022 Resource page for relevant forms and informational sheets

Image Details Form

The button below will take you to a Google form where details of images can be input. These details are used for,

  • Planning the exhibition layout

  • The build the exhibition catalogue

  • To create labels that will be placed under each image in the exhibition

About "Shot in the Heart of Australia" 2022

The Australian Association of Street Photographers Incorporated (AASPI), who exhibit under the banner of 'Shot in the Heart of Australia', are a group of avid photographers in the "street photography genre", or as it's commonly called, just "street".

Shot in the Heart of Australia is a street photography and photojournalism exhibition that celebrates the decisive, and often indecisive, but always graceful moments on the streets of Australia.  

This will be the 11th annual AASPI exhibition showcasing individual captures from diverse and enthusiastic collective of street photographers with a focus on Australia.

They capture ephemeral moments. Raw, candid and completely unique. Shot in the Heart of Australia is a candid homage to the people, architecture and street life that bring this country to life every day.

In recent times, it seems that the time honoured traditional form of street photography has been overshadowed by a flood of more contemporary, staged, digitally manipulated and over processed genres of photography.

Those who love the genre of "street", know the elation inside, when they capture the moment of something truly unique, fleeting, decisive, and never to be repeated!

What is "street photography"? This definition is subjective and varies from person to person, but at best, it's a visual documentation, focusing on a moment in time, of everyday life of society, un-manipulated and usually without the subject's awareness. Street photography doesn't necessarily need people in it. An object, shadow, ray of light can be the subject, rather than a human form.

 “I love the people I photograph. I mean, they’re my friends. I’ve never met most of them or I don’t know them at all, yet through my images I live with them.” – Bruce Gilden

A Definition of Street Photography

Street photography is difficult to define and is constantly evolving and being debated. It does however have a number of traits that have been associated with it throughout its history.

Street Photography is about capturing a spontaneous, candid moment from the energy and chance juxtapositions of life. Street photography distinguishes itself from reportage and photojournalism in that it contains the artists intent and interpretation of observations of everyday life caught as it unfolds in front of you.

Despite its name these moments need not necessitate the presence of a street. ‘Street’ simply refers to a place where human activity can be seen, a place to observe and capture social interaction.

While street photography usually involves people it can be of object that projects a human character or an environment that is decidedly human.

Framing, composition and timing are key aspects of the genre, with the aim of creating images at a decisive or poignant moment.

Guide to Curation for Shot in the Heart of Australia

SITHOA is a curated exhibition which aims to capture Australia in the street photography genre.  Submitted images are reviewed by a curation team who consider the following points when evaluating an image. 

  • Style - Street photography, documentary or urban poetry style

  • Location - Must be shot in Australia. Traditionally limited to urban, town or suburbs.

  • Urban - Traditionally limited to urban, town or suburb. Submissions will be considered for which the photographer considers to represent Australia in their own heart.

  • Candid - Images should be un-staged where the subjects will mostly be unaware that their picture is being taken

  • Dignity - should not demean or ridicule any person, so please no homeless people or local ‘characters’

  • Natural - black and white or natural colour only and limit processing to minor cropping and other minor adjustments. Effects such as HDR, selective colouring, double exposure or distortion will most likely not be accepted. We want to see the image in its most realistic, yet artistic form

  • Original - must be your own work and photographing another artists artwork may not be accepted, including images of street performers performing their art.

Full details on curation criteria can be found in the in the Shot in the Heart of Australia Terms and Conditions, and if any image is rejected by the curation committee you will be given the opportunity to resubmit.